Hilarious 'Everyday X-Men' Shows Mutants in Their Off-time

Ever wonder what the X-Men look like in their off-time when they're not battling Sentinels or trying to stop Apocalypse's latest plan? Well artist Chad Sell has given us a glimpse at just that.

After seeing the images getting shared around Twitter -- and laughing quite a bit -- we conducted an email interview with Sell to learn where the idea for Everyday X-Men came from, what superheroes he's interested in tackling next, and the other projects he's currently working on.

IGN Comics: Where did you come up with the idea for doing these Everyday X-Men?

Chad Sell: Ever since I was a kid, I've been obsessed with comics -- reading them, writing them, drawing them. The X-Men have always been some of my favorites, especially the 90's Jim Lee era that I was first introduced to. So I wanted to try and draw some of those iconic and nostalgic characters, but without relying on just hyper-sexualizing the characters or putting them in exaggerated, contorted action poses.

I was sketching out some ideas, and I thought, "Well, what if Psylocke is just on the phone? What if Jean is floating there eating popcorn?" I liked the idea of depicting the characters in their beloved (and also kind of ridiculous) superhero outfits, but placing them in a mundane or silly context.

IGN: I noticed that you said you don’t want to rely on hyper-sexualizing the characters, but wouldn’t you say you’ve turned up the sex-factor of the male characters? Nightcrawler is looking pretty fit. Are you able to sexualize a character and still put them in a mundane or silly context?

Sell: I definitely depicted the X-Guys shirtless or showing more skin than usual, absolutely! But I didn’t just want to make erotic gay superhero pin-ups -- Nightcrawler’s skimpy outfit is more for a gag than it is to be titillating.

IGN: A lot of superhero pin-ups feature cheesecake shots of various super-ladies, but you've gone the beefcake route utilizing the male heroes. What made you do that?

Sell: Well, the simple answer is that I'm gay. But even though I placed some of the X-Guys into suggestive situations, they're all intended to be very silly and light-hearted. As a lifelong comics nerd, I love the ridiculous proportions and skintight costumes of both male and female superheroes, but I also recognize that superhero comics depict a highly stylized and exaggerated view of the world.

IGN: Which one is your favorite, or favorites, if you can't choose just one?

Sell: Among the X-Ladies, my favorites are Mystique and Jean Grey. For the X-Guys, I'd say Nightcrawler and Colossus. I just think they're simple, fun, and goofy.

IGN: Could you see yourself doing another round of these featuring a different team? Everyday Avengers, perhaps? Or Everyday Justice League?

Sell: Absolutely! The artist I kept thinking about while doing these pin-ups was Bruce Timm, so I've already been thinking about a series based on Batman: The Animated Series or the Justice League cartoon!

IGN: What other projects are you currently working on?

Sell: I've been working on an autobio comic called VREELAND, which you can read here: http://www.vreelandcomics.com/ It's about four crazy years I spent after college when I moved to Michigan to take care of my grandparents.

I also draw a lot of drag queens from RuPaul's Drag Race -- they're really not so different from most superheroes. So I'm gearing up for Season 7 of the show!